Support



Jan, 6, 1925.

C` A. MClNT-OSH SUPPORT Filed Feb. l5, 1922 2 Sheets-#Sheet l INVENTORATTO R N EY WITNESS:

Jan. 6. 192s. 1,521,963

C. A. MCINTOSH SUPPORT Filed Feb. 15, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n @la yQLZI.

/ l INVENTOR BY @j m41 WITNESS ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

U "I TED T TES i miese CLAYTON A. LVICINTOSH,K4 OF PALMER,S K'ANSAS.

' SUPPORT. y 1

'Application filed February 15,' 1922. seriai-No. 536,839.

To all whom t may concern:

lBe it known that I, CLAYTON A. Mo-

'INTosH, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Palmer, in the county ofVashing ton and State of Kansas, haveinvented new Vand useful Improvements in Supports, of

which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in brackets, especially adaptedfor use in rural districtsfor supporting-mail boxes, parcel postreceptacles, bulletin boards and the like. l

An object ofthev present invention is the provisionof a bracket for theabove purpose,

which may be attached, to an iron or wooden "fence, or other post, andVwhich, may be supported in amanner' to permit of rotation, or

readily attached.

Another object of the invention is the 'provision of a bracket as aboveset forth, which is light -and durable of construction and 'which may beeasilyand quickly secured in place.

With the aboveand'other objectsin View the invention furtherincludesthefollowingV novel featuresand details of construction, tol be hereinaftermore fully described, ill-ustrated inthe. accompanying drawings' andpointed out in the appended claims.

VIn the drawings VFigure 1 is a side elevation of Vabracket or support,constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 isa top planview. i Figure 4 is a top plan view showing amodified form of the invention.

Figure 51s a side elevation illustrating a further modified form of theinvention.

Figure `(iis a sectional view on the line this arm.

Y AFigurel() is a detail plan 'viewy showing the form of kerf plateused'for attaching the bracket to a .woodenl post.

Figure 11 is a similar view illustrating the .formofplate used inconnect-ioiiwitlia cylindrical post or pipe.

Figure 12 isa detail perspective view of another form 'of'kerf plate.

Figure 13 isan'enlargedfragmentary sectional viewthrough-theupper end'of the support.

Referring indetail to the drawings, and..

"more especially to'Figuresl'to 3 inclusive, .the bracket oi' supportYisishowii asmounted upon 'a cylindrical post 15, ,wliich vmaybeformed-iof'pipe, if desired. Thispo'stinay constitutea. part of afenceandithe bracket arm 16S-which is mounted thereon andfwlii'ch is capableof rotation, includes' a`sleeve'17 having arms'lS and19f'extending fromdiametrically opposite 'sides thereof. YThese far-ins mayl becastintegral with thel sleeve 171 `andinay be of anytransverse configuration'to'insure'strength 'and'lightness The arm 18 is'pr'ovided lat'its outeren'dwith an enlargement or shelf 20, having suitable openings therein,for the reception offastening devices 'for' the` purpose of securing'kamail box 21 or Vother receptacle thereto.

Alsoadapted to be securedV to the armi 1S is Qa receptacle,hereinf'showii in the form of a' basket 22,'which may convenientlyreceive parcel.l post' matter. This' basket! is mounted onv atransversely arranged lplate 'or'base 23, which is bolted Vor otherwisesecured' tok 0ppositely extending ears 24 Vwhich project 'from the edgesof the arm'18. vThe basket is secured tothe plate orzbase 23 by meansof- U-bolts 25. The arin19. has bolted to its outer end a handle 26.andextending V.upwardly from this'arm' and secured thereto vby theboltswhich-.secure the; handle to thearin 19 are spaced'vertically .disposedarms27. Bolted or otherwiseisecured tothe arms ,'27 is-a bulletin boardV28whose face is parallel with the 'length of thev handle 26. The

lbulletin"`V board is rsecurely 'heldin place through" the medium ofinclined braces 29. Y

, The sleeve'lZ is supported upon thepost 15 by meansrof a vflangedcollar BO'aiid Vthe upper end of thispostis' provided with an Iadjustable cap 31, which is held in 'adj usted Position by VlclIiS of a'screw or b'olt 32 'which passes'through a' slot133j foiinedfin thecap.V Surroundinglthe" post 15' between the inner end ofithe cap 13fand"the `upper end ofthe' sleeve'i? isf a spring 34, theetenson of whichViiiay be adjusted through the 'adjustinent ofthe cap "31," the"purpose` being to prevent accidental rotation of the bracket.

lIn the use {of the invention, the larm 18 may be normally positioned onthe outside of the fence with the handle 26 parallel to the fence sothat the householder may by grasping the handle easily rotate thebracket to a convenient positionfor removing inail or other packages andmay then return the; bracket toI its original position. The tension ofthe spring will prevent the bracket troni `being accident-ly moved outot' position. As the bulletin board 28 is arrange-d parallel to thelength of the handle, notices, such as the sale of produce, or any othermatter, may be easily read by passers by.

In some communities it isdesirable to position a number'o'f mail boxesat a single point along a pike or State road and in order th at theseboxes may be easily reached without forcing the carrier to alight fromhis vehicle, the construction provided in Figure 4 had been devised.This consists of a plurality of radially arranged bracket arms 18, tothe outer ends of which may be secured one or more mail boxes, as shownby dotted lines. These boxes may be secured as in the manner previouslydescribed, or in any other suitable or desired manner. The arms 18 aremounted for rotation upon a post in the manner described in connectionwith the preceding figures and in order to provide means forconveniently rotating the bracket so as to bring any of the arms intoconvenient position, the outer ends of the said arms are connected by anangular strip or rod 35, which not only serves as a handle, but furtherserves to strengthen the outer ends of the arms and to provideadditional means by .which the mail boxes shown by dotted lines inFigure 4 may be attached.

In Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings there is illustrated aV 'form ofbracket or support which may be formed of strap metal, angle iron,channel iron or I beams. This form of the invention is designed for usewhere it is necessary or desired to employ a relatively long arm. Theform shown consists of a bar 36 to the inner end of which is secured abrace37. This brace includes a substantially vertical portion 38, whoseupper end is bent at a right angle beneath the inner end ot the bar 36to which it is secured by means o'l a bolt or screw 39.

The arm 38 is adapted to bear against a wooden or other post 40 andy itslower end is bent upward and outward and is secured to the bar 36intermediate the ends of the latter by means of a bolt 41. To furtherstrengthen the bar 36 there is provided a truss brace which includes alongitudinally extending rod 42, one end of which is secured to theinner end of the bar 36 upon the bolt 39, while its opposite end issecured adjacent the outer end of the bar 36 as shown at 43. Thevertically arranged arm 44 comiects the bar 36 and the rod 42intermediate their ends, the lower end of the arm 44 being secured uponthe bolt or other securing means 41.

The outer end of the bar 36 is longitudnally split as illustrated inFigure 8 of the drawings so as to provide outwardly extending spacedarms 45, which serve as a platform or rest for the support of a mail boxor other receptacle.

Located at the inner end of the bracket is what may be termed a kerfplate 46, the latter being provided with an opening for the reception ofthe bolt 39. This plate is adapted to be positioned between the bar 36and the rod 42 and to have its inner end received within a horizontallyarranged korf provided in the post 40.

Also secured upon the bolt 39 is a substantially U-shaped bracket 47.The upper ends of this bracket lare s'litted for the reception of apivot bolt 48 and mounted upon this bolt is a` bulletin board 49. Thisboard may have suitable indicia arranged upon one or both sides, forexample the word lVanted may be arranged at the top upon one side of theboard and bulletins describing articles wanted may be writen orotherwise arranged therebeneath. Upon the opposite side of the board andat the bottom may be arranged the words For sale7 and by rotating theboard upon the pivot 48, the former may be reversed and suitablebulletins arranged beneath these words.

In Figure 7 there isV illustrated al slight-ly different form of theinvention. In this form the truss brace is dispensed with, as the arm isof a relatively short length. The lower brace is of a slightly differentcharacter being somewhat the shape of the brace 37 shown in Figures 5-and 6. That is, it includes an arm 50, which in Figure 7 is horizontallyarranged beneath the bracket arm or bar 36. The inner end ot' the arm 50is bent at a right angle as shown at 51 for contact with the side of thepost, while the opposite end of the said arm 50 is bent inward anddownward as shown at 52 and its extremity is adapted to engage the postbeneath the right angled portion 51. Any suitable type of kerf plate maybe employed, depending upon the type of post used, Mt'or example, theplate which is shown in Figure 11. and which is designed for use inconnection with a cylindrical post or pipe. The plate illustrated inFigure 10 is designed for use in connection with a wooden post. v

The outer end of Vthe bar 36 may be formed in the manner illustrated inFigure 8, or it may be longitudinally split as shown in Figure 9, theouter end of the split portion extending at right angles so as toprovide al right angled offset arm 54 and an inclined otfset arm 55.

In the form of kerf plate shown in Figure 12 and indicated at 56, theinner edge or" the said plate is slit-ted and the portion between theslits bent at right angles as shown at 57 so as to provide a flange.This flange may be of a length cio-extensive with the Width of the baseto which the plate 56 is secured and the said flange may then lie flatagainst the face of the post.

The invention is susceptible of' various changes in its form,proportions and minor details of construction and the right is thereinreserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of theappended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed is tl. In combinationwith a post, of a sleeve rotatably supported thereon, a horizontalsupport carried by the post, a cap received on the upper end of the postprovided with slots at diametriea-lly opposite points, a pin passingthrough the slots and post, a yoke carried by the cap and engaging thepin, a

spring' interposed between the cap and sleeve, i

and a receptacle supported on the horizontal member. v

2. A device of the character .described comprising a post, a sleeverotatably supported thereon, a horizontal arm carried by the sleeve, acap on the post having slots at diametrioally opposite points, a' pinpassing through the post and slots, a yoke extending from the capengaging the pin and a coil spring' interposed between the cap andsleeve to normally hold the saine against rotation, a receptaclesupported on the arm, and a handle carried by the arin whereby torotate, the arm about its axis.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLAYTON A. MOINTOSH.

